WPo: Hayden says Obama will NOT Investigate or change Torture Tactics

[Leopolds Ghost]

Note Obama's new Republican Nat'l Security Advisor is similarly hawkish on this...

Hayden: Obama Does Not Wish to Investigate Waterboarding

President-elect Barack Obama has privately signaled to top U.S. intelligence officials that he has no plans to launch a legal inquiry into the CIA's past use of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques, agency director Michael V. Hayden said yesterday.

Obama learned key details of the CIA's interrogation tactics in a closed-door meeting last month, and afterward made clear that he was more interested in protecting the country from terrorist attacks then investigating the past, the outgoing CIA director said.

'He's looking forward,' Hayden said, 'and that's very appropriate.'

The retired Air Force general made the comment at a farewell news conference at which he strongly defended the agency's role in the controversial program -- a role that he said was accepted "out of duty, and not with enthusiasm."

Hayden also said the CIA is largely responsible for al-Qaeda's failure to launch a major terrorist strike on U.S. soil in the eight years since Sept. 11, 2001. 'That's 2,710 days in which we were not attacked,' he said. CIA employees 'should take credit for that.'

Obama has publicly signaled a reluctance to launch a formal inquiry that could, in the view of some advisers, undermine the agency's effectiveness at a time when it is helping wage two foreign wars. In a televised interview "This Week", Obama said his 'orientation's going to be to move forward.'

Obama expressed a similar view to Hayden and Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell in a two-hour private meeting last month in Chicago, Hayden said. While declining to discuss details, Hayden said the talks covered 'all the covert actions of the agency,' including interrogations.

'What the president-elect said on Sunday is what he said to me privately,' Hayden said.

Hayden argued that, regardless of how people view the program today, it would be a mistake for one administration to try to prosecute spies for carrying covert actions authorized by a different White House.

'I have no right to ask a guy (agent) to bet his kids' college education on who's going to win the next off-year election,' Hayden said. 'You can't do this to these people.'

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011504009.html

[Aviation Pro]

1. Grain of salt time.....

...this is Hayden, a known serial liar, take whatever he says with a bit of prudence.

[Duckhunter935]

2. Guess all past crimes are OK now?

I hope they have this wrong

[spanone]

3. wishful thinking on hayden's part

[Leopolds Ghost]

4. I mean, you can't -do- this to these people!

CIA agents, that is.

[Windy]

5. Obama plainly said on Stephanapolis that this will be up to Holder as AG.. and not him as president.

n/t

[jaxx]

6. As Obama says, no one is above the law.

He may not push for investigations, but Eric Holder could have a different idea.

[Leopolds Ghost]

7. Let it sink, then, I guess? I don't hear Obama apologizing for Hayden's "misinterpretation"

As he is quick to do if a liberal such as Jackson claims he actually promised to do something liberal.

Not that anyone round these parts bothers to call themselves liberal or defend liberals as such, anymore.

Why they actually praised Reagan at the We Are One ceremony yesterday... I was there.

[jaxx]

12. Why on earth would Obama apologize for what some damn pub said?

[Leopolds Ghost]

13. Edited OP to add confirmation that Obama said this publicly and privately.

You don't seem to understand how to read the Post for content. It is easy to tell the difference between the lies and the message between the lines. The Post wants to send a message to their opinion-leader readership that the less informed readers will gloss over. It is a reassuring message, about Obama's commitment to the status quo. There's a pattern here. This is an example of the message between the lines. They aren't going to come out and rile the sheep, they'll take baby steps to re-legitimize Jack Bauer tactics which even Clinton used.

it was Bush I and Reagan who first approved this shit. I didn't hear you complaining then...

[jaxx]

17. Oh I understand an agenda when I see one.

You're wasting it on me.

[sharp_stick]

14. You really want Obama

to apologize for Hayden's comment?

[Leopolds Ghost]

16. You didn't read what I said.

I expect Obama to criticize Hayden's comment, like he is quick to criticize Jackson or any liberal who claims he committed to do something. Obama takes any suggestion he is a liberal to be an insult, tantamount to accusing him of treason or devil-worship. when he says "I didn't promise that guy what he claims I promised him. And furthermore he is off base and will not be welcome in my White House."

[Winterblues]

18. They did not praise Reagan they praised something he said

There is a huge difference. Even the very worst person on earth can sometimes say something that is the correct thing to say.

[terisan]

8. Obama, Nixon, Bush-if the prez does it, it is not a crime. Obama Supporters for Torture?

Obama as president will be above the law?

No more excuses. Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.

All crimes are past crimes--so why do we prosecute only citizens who have committed crimes---because presidents are above the law?

Dangerous precedent.

Hayden's comment is pathetic---it means he is telling people to break the law if a dictator tells him to.

[mmonk]

9. Hayden is posturing.

[madokie]

10. Of course Hayden would say that

he has a vested interest in all this after all

[Bonobo]

11. Thread title should be "Hayden says Obama will not investigate"!

[ThomWV]

15. Thread title should be "Hayden prays Obama will not investigate"

[Juche]

19. Those agents knew it was illegal

That is why the FBI complained about the CIA's torture program back in 2002. They knew it was illegal.

"'I have no right to ask a guy (agent) to bet his kids' college education on who's going to win the next off-year election,' Hayden said. 'You can't do this to these people.'"

What a load of crap. If you want to avoid putting your kid's college education at risk, then don't break the law in the first place.

This is pretty sad. I still support Obama on most domestic & international issues, but I have largely lost hope of him upholding the rule of law. Hopefuly either domestic or international courts will still try to do that.

Since the rendition program started under Clinton, any serious torture investigation will indict Clinton and Gore just as much as Bush and Cheney. Because of that it'll be covered up by both parties. But I don't know what the long term consequences of covering it up will be.